Does it seem ironic to you that many of us are appalled, even righteously indignant at the thought of radical terrorists, who are responsible the deaths of innocent victims, were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques such as "waterboarding."
Yet we don't give a second thought to the suffering endured by game show contestants. Yes, contestants on TV game shows are being subjected to many forms of torture in their quest to win fame and fortune though not seeking the same reward that terrorists seek with the "70 virgins" and all that.
Contestants undergo treks through jungles, deserts, and all manner of perils, including the risk of attack by wild animals, in the name of fun. A new show subjects its "victims" to falls from speeding vehicles, crashes of trains, planes, and automobiles. Contestants, just like the terrorists, know that they are not in real peril yet they retain a degree of uncertainty.
A new TV show has as its finale, a drop from a 10-story building into a pool of water. The four finalists are in real agony waiting to be dropped, as they have been throughout the contest, and would gladly give up any "secret" they knew just to escape the torture. As the game show host blabbers on about which contestant will be dropped next, you can see the real fear on their faces.
Enhanced interrogation has been given new meaning by creators of TV entertainment. In the future, we will simply have to make participation in a game show part of interrogation for enemy combatants.
And instead of wanting to impeach a president, we'll simply laugh at the predicament of the unwitting "contestants." What won't we do in the name of fun? Perhaps a benefit to national security has been found in the entertainment industry.
On a more serious note, there's a new form of torture, it's called the debt ceiling, and is scary stuff.
The room in which the "debt ceiling" talks take place in Washington may be described as one filled with hubris. Hubris is defined as excessive pride or arrogance which can be debilitating. In this case it appears to be exactly that. Democrats and Republicans are playing hardball, neither wanting to give an inch; one wants to tax the rich, the other wants to cut, cap, and balance. Their resistance to compromise is buoyed by none other than us, the voting, vocal public and the base of each party.
Speaking of pride, you might wonder whether the president is suffering from "PMS," or Praying Mantis Syndrome. Ever notice that when deplaning from Air Force One, President Obama assumes the posture of a praying mantis as he trots down the stairs never bothering to hold the handrail. With wrists and hands bent, he is an athletic and nimble chief executive who practically floats as he descends to solid ground. He has set the bar high for future presidents. He or she may have to do somersaults or back flips to match the prowess of Obama; or not. I would settle for a president who leads and who believes in America's greatness. And, who makes decisions with America' best interest at heart.
Criticizing a presidents' mannerisms may seem a trivial matter and minor traits are often fodder for the critics. Consider the relentless barrage that liberals threw at George W. Bush, his pronunciation of a single word, nuclear, was given much more attention than deserved.
Even worse has been the criticism of Sarah Palin whose critics go into a tizzy at the mention of her name.
But, every president or wannabe is on "display" to the American public and Obama has had more face time on TV than any chief executive in recent memory.
Some criticisms don't mean much in the grand scheme of things, and some are about tell-tale traits that reveal the true character of the person. The image Obama projects is appealing to many of his dedicated supporters. Many of us would like to see him tone it down a bit with the seemingly arrogant posturing and the tenor of his speaking, preferably in another line of work.
Reynolds lives in Pleasant View.
Comments